


Born of Water

by theskywasblue



Category: Wild Adapter
Genre: M/M, Near Death Experience, Sharing Body Heat, Water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-06
Updated: 2010-09-06
Packaged: 2017-10-11 12:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/112611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskywasblue/pseuds/theskywasblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tokitoh is thankful he can breathe</p>
            </blockquote>





	Born of Water

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chomiji](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=chomiji).



They wash up under the pier - refuse from the ocean, washed clean and salt-stinging on the dirty sand. Tokitoh stares up at the few stars he can see in the light-polluted sky as he struggles to pull air into his lungs and force the salt water out, thankful that he can at least _breathe_ even if everything hurts and he can't stop shaking from the water still lapping around his legs.

Kubota is heavy across his body, breathing shallow and burning hot against the side of his neck, and even though Tokitoh wants desperately to squirm free because he can hardly get enough air into his lungs, the only thing he can do is dig his fingers into Kubota's shoulders - and Kubota doesn't even make a sound of pain when the claws of Tokitoh's twisted and powerful hand sink through his jacket and break skin.

Kubota breathes against his neck, as hot as smoke, a little string of saliva like acid against the tendon running tight from Tokitoh's neck to his shoulder. He pushes his fingers under the wet tangle of Tokitoh's shirt, and where their skin touches it burns from the cold and their shared body heat, makes Tokitoh hiss like a cat and arch his back up off the pebbled sand. For a moment he's worried that their bodies will stick together, the way that ice cubes sometimes do when they are first starting to melt, but Kubota's fingers just slip and slide until his palm is heavy and molten against the skin over Tokitoh's heart.

The longer they touch, the more it hurts, as the blood in their veins finally starts to run properly warm under the skin and their nerves remember what it means to be able to feel. All the old aches start to flare up again, swelling abated by cold water returns, and it's all Tokitoh can do not to sob against Kubota's temple as they lie there on the beach and wonder at being alive.

"What would I have done if you died?" Kubota asks suddenly, his lips slipping against Tokitoh's jaw, tongue against a fresh snake of blood from a cut on Tokitoh's chin like a hot brand.

"I – I dunno."

"Neither do I."

There's no fear in Kubota's voice, just something that sounds to Tokitoh like amazement. Seagulls circle overhead like ghosts, crying out, and the water settles somewhere around Tokitoh's knees, waves lapping less urgently now that they've realized they won't be able to pull him back in anymore – not with Kubota's weight pressing him into the sand.

Finally, Kubota moves, pushes himself up on hands and knees, and stares down at him – probably not seeing a single thing, because it's dark and he's blind, more or less, without his glasses – but Tokitoh _feels_ like he's being seen, and for some reason it doesn't embarrass or frighten him.

He knows Kubota won't look at him and see a monster.

It hurts to stand up – Tokitoh's body was just getting used to lying still – but he manages, bracing himself against Kubota as much as Kubota braces against him, and together they stumble away from the water and onto dry land.

-End-


End file.
